Sparks - ‘Perfume’ (Gut) Released 13/02/06

22 years since the cult classic 'This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us', and still nobody has matched the brothers Mael for combining comedy and menace to such bizarre effect. Pulsing synths and grinding guitars trade blows with rippling jazz piano and quasi-classical interludes, while Russell pays homage to his au naturelle lady friend: “Genevieve wears Dior/Margaret wears Trésor/Mary-Jo wears Lauren/But you don’t wear no perfume.” 'Perfume' is the kind of track that we might have expected to turn up on the latest Franz Ferdinand album, but instead it’ll probably lie languishing on yet another curiosity piece until some spandex-clad rocker decides to cover it. That stinks.